Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: More Time Needed to Study Effects of Red Light Cameras

The writers are Martin Robins, director emeritus of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, and Pam Fischer, a transportation safety consultant and former director of the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

Dear Editor, Recent press coverage about Lawrence Township’s experience with red-light camera installations at the Brunswick Pike/Franklin Corners/Baker’s Basin Roads intersection, in our view, fails to accentuate two significant positive first-year results – reductions over time in violations and total crashes at the intersection.   Based on our study of red-light camera installations in six New Jersey municipalities and research of national studies of red-light camera programs elsewhere, we found that, over time, the observed uptick in rear-end collisions at the Lawrence Township installations can be expected to lessen as local drivers become accustomed to them and make fewer short stops and other drivers follow less closely.  We …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Legislation to Decrease Plastic Bag Waste Worthy of Support

The writer is Noemi De La Puente, a Lawrence Township resident and member of Sustainable Lawrence.

  There are eight million people in the Garden State according to the last census. We use an average of about 400-600 plastic and/or paper bags each year (EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report, and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Edward Humes in Garbology). “So what?” You might ask. This is what... Each plastic bag costs merchants between 2-5 cents. Each paper bag costs 6-23 cents. There is no free lunch, and there is no free bag. Merchants pass the cost along to us, the consumers. Most merchants feel that they have to offer “free” bags because people expect them (we consumers can be picky sometimes). This adds up to about $96 million a year in New Jersey, just on these stupid bags that no one really likes. So the merchants have higher …

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Op-Ed: Who Has Time for the Flu? How to Fight Illness With Smart Policy

Earned days off could help contain the flu outbreak and ultimately increase employee productivity

By Jon Whiten [Jon Whiten is deputy director of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive think tank focused on crucial New Jersey issues, and a spokesperson for the NJ Time to Care Coalition, which represents more than 80 organizations from around the state that support initiatives that benefit working families.] By this point, you’d have to pretty much be living under a rock to have not heard the news that this year’s flu season, which started early, is going to be a doozy. Deaths are starting to be reported around the country, and there are high levels of flu activity all over the state, according to the latest update from the Department of Health. One of the simplest and most crucial ways to prevent the spread of flu is for people …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Kudos to Township Manager Richard Krawczun

The writer is Glenn Collins, a Lawrence Township resident who sits on the township's Planning Board.

Dear Editor:  While I don’t always agree with decisions made and actions taken by our township government, I have to acknowledge Township Manager Rich Krawczun’s recent negotiation with our local police union. Given the state of our economy, as well the FOP’s reputation for being difficult when it comes to contracts, I believe that Mr. Krawczun secured the best possible deal for the taxpayers.  The benefit time cap, shift changes, short-term limit on salary increases and longevity pay freeze are positive steps that will aid in stabilizing a local budget that has far too many challenges. Mr. Krawczun’s work to get Lawrence over this particular public employee hurdle is an example of doing what is necessary, which is exactly what the …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Let's Give Sports Back to the Kids

The writer is Larry Ksanznak, a retired educator who served as assistant superintendant of Lawrence Township Public Schools. Ksanznak was the first principal of Ben Franklin Elementary School when the school opened in 1961.

There is as an astonishing new study about kids that finds over 42 percent do not play outside after school. This study and the concern about obesity in our children and the reduction of recess and physical education in our schools should be of a major concern for all parents. We drive our kids to school, shopping malls, organized sports and sleepovers. When kids are not in cars, they are being taken by bus to school and sporting events. I was at a youth baseball game and I noticed two kids were never taken out of the game for a substitute. This is commonly known as the “Parent/Coach” syndrome. If you want, your kid to play every inning be a coach. It is not always about the kids but the control of the parent to assure their child gets …

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Op-Ed: Arming Teachers Not The Answer

President and founder of Safe School Technologies presents the latest in a series of articles on gun laws.

Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Robert V. Tessaro, who spent five years in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. After a week of silence following the tragic massacre in Newtown, Conn., National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre hosted a press conference to outline their solution to gun violence in our schools. Predictably, the NRA blamed the media, the entertainment industry, video game makers, gun-free school zones, mental health providers, hurricanes … just about everything but the lax gun laws in the United States that they have fought to weaken. According to them, there is no need to require background checks on all firearm sales (bad guys will get the guns anyway), no …

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Op-Ed: Improving Firearm Background Checks

President and founder of Safe School Technologies presents a series on gun laws and what citizens can do.

Editor's Note: The following article was submitted by Robert V. Tessaro, who recently moved back to New Jersey after spending five years in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Background checks are one of the most effective ways to prevent potentially dangerous people from having access to firearms, but the current system has gaping flaws that need to be addressed. There are ways to strengthen background checks that will not impede any lawful citizen from having access to firearms that should be implemented as soon as possible. Who can own a gun? Current Federal laws prohibit the following people from owning a firearm: In addition,  There are some glaring shortcomings in the law. In the state of …

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Do You Plan to Quit Smoking in 2013?

A study released Tuesday says 34 percent of smokers say this is their year; are you one of them?

We here at Patch end up on mailing lists all over the place, for events and stories with absolutely no connection to our coverage areas. While an email we received Tuesday morning follows this path, it's a subject that goes well beyond geographic boundaries. The Legacy Foundation on Tuesday released a new study indicating 34 percent of smokers plan on quitting in 2013, twice as many as in 2012, the press release notes. How they were able to survey every smoker on the planet must be the work of magic and we are not going to dig deeper for fear they will turn us into a frog or something. One of the biggest reasons for the higher number of proposed quitters, according to the release, is the increasing cost of visiting Flavor Country. (For …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Thank You to Community Santas

The writer is Connie Mercer, founder and executive director of HomeFront.

Dec. 31, 2012 To the Editor: Many years ago an editorial assured Virginia that yes, there is a Santa Claus. We beg to disagree. We at HomeFront know for a fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Santas in our community. This year they exemplified the holiday spirit by making sure that homeless and recently homeless children and their parents shared in all the things that make the season special. Individuals, congregations and corporations came together to provide them with gifts, holiday meals, and even parties. We asked each of our client children to submit a ‘wish list’ for two special presents and, sure enough, their wishes came true - thanks to our generous, caring community! Virginia would be overwhelmed by all the Santas …

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Fiscal Cliff: What It Means For My 2013 Paycheck?

The financial deadline looms in Washington, with no deal yet made. Check this primer, and share your questions and thoughts.

With Christmas 2012 over, one reality check is that the looming "fiscal cliff" deadline is just a few days away. On Dec. 31, tax cuts dating to the George W. Bush presidential term are scheduled to expire, and President Obama and congressional leaders have not reached a compromise. Of course, that means tax bills would increase for many middle- and upper-class taxpayers. And that means paycheck withholding for many workers would change, leaving them with less take-home pay in the new year. Apparently, though, there will be no immediate change in withholding tables, while the situation is unresolved. According to John Tuzynski, the IRS’ chief of employment tax policy, employers should continue to use 2012 withholding tables and personal …

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